Samuel pvtjssell



(No Model.)

S. RUSSELL.

ELECTRIC CARTRIDGE.

No. 307,071. Patented Oct. 21,1884.

Fig-,1.

WlTNESSES; INVENTOR:

Waxy B 13mm W I 1/ us -0rneys,

N. PETERS Phobiilbographar. wmh mn. D. c

Warren Sterne Ariana @FFIEE.

SAMUEL RUSSELL, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN ELECTRIC ARMS ANDAMMUNITION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CARTRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,071, dated October21, 1884.

Application filed February 9, 1884. (No model.)

(LU whom. it may concur/1.:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL RUssnLL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridges, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of car tridges for guns or firearmswhich are fired IO by electricity, being constructed with a smallelectric conductor of high resistance (usually platinum wire) in contactwith the contained powder, which wire, upon the passage through it of asufficient electric current, is heated to incandcscence and ignites thepowder.

My invention consists in the improved construction of the cartridge,with special reference to the incandescing conductor and the non-incandescin g condu ctorin connection with Figure l of the accompanyingdrawings is an enlarged longitudinal mid-section of a cartridge for ashotgun constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionof the same cut in the plane of the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is alongitudinal 1nid-scction of a bullet-cartridge on a smaller scale.

Let A denote the shell of the cartridge; 13, the powder therein, and Cthe shot in Fig. 1

or the bullet in'Fig.

In Fig. 1, a and b are the usual wads. A pin, D, incased in a tubularinsulating-sheath, "1, passes from the base of the cartridge forwardinto the powder-space, and terminates, by preference, near the front ofthe charge of powder. The distance to which it penetrates the charge isnot material, and may be varied to better adapt the cartridge todifferent requirements. The sheath E is held in place by aninwardlyprojccting neck, 0, formed as part of or attached to themetallic base of the can tridge. From this neck a small strip, d, of

conducting metal, preferably copper, extends along one side of thesheath E on the exterior of the latter and terminates at or near thefront end thereof. Between the front end of this strip (Z and the frontend of the pin 1) extends a very slender platinum wire, I, which isshown of exaggerated thickness in Figs. 1 and The pin D and strip (1thus form nonincandescing conductors in connection with the incandescingconductor I. The latter should be arranged near the front of the powderin order to ignite the latter at the front and cause it to burnbackward, and thus avoid the blow- 5 5 ing out of any unignited powder.This cartridge is designed to be fired in an electric gun wherein thebreech-block and barrel are connected to one pole of the battery and acentral firing-pin is connected to the other pole. The base of thecartridge when it comes against the breechhlock or barrel establisheselectrical connection therewith, and when the firing-pin is pressedforward until it makes contact with the rear end of the pin D thecircuit is com- 6 pleted and the cartridge is fired. The course of thecurrent then is from the battery through the firing-pin, the pin 1), theincandescing wire I, the strip (2, the metallic base of thecartridge-shell, and the breech-block or barrel, and thence back to thebattery. The incandescing conductor I may lie close upon the end of thesheath E, as in Fig. 1; or it may be a loop, as shown in Fig. 3. In theformer case the same cartridgcshell may be used repeat- 7 5 cdly.

My improved cartridge is superior to elec tric cartridges as heretoforemade by reason of the simplicity and cheapness of its construction, itsdurability, and the ability to ignite the front of the charge of powder.The incandescing conductor is Very short and small, and it is so mountedas to avoid any liability of displacement in filling thecartridge-shell.

I claim as my invention 1. An electric cartridge consisting of thecombination of the cartridge-shell having a metallic base, a conductorextending from the center of the base toward the front of the shell .andinsulated from the base, another conductor in electrical connection withthe base, and also extending forward, and an incandescing conductorextending from the forward endfof one of said conductors to the forwardend of the other, substantially as set forth.

2. An electric cartridge consisting of the combination of the shell A,having a metallic base, a center conducting-pin, D, inclosed in aninsulating-sheath, E, a conductor, cl, outside of said sheath and inelectrical connec- Lion with said case, and an incaudcscing con- InWitness whei'col. 1 have hereunto signed ductor, 1,; substantially asset forth. my name in the presence of two subscribing 3. The combinationof shell A, having a 1110- witnesses. tallic base, neck 0, formed onsaid base, cena 5 tral conducting-pin, D, insulating-sheath E, SAMUELRUSSELL.

inclosing said pin and held in said neck, conductor d, in electricalconnection with said \Vitnesses: metallic base, and incandescingconductor 1, ARTHUR O. FRASER,

ARTHUR S. BROWN,

in connection with pin D and conductor d, sub- 10 stantially as setforth.

